Haitian are displacing the Dominican from jobs (Haitian lower salaries), from the lands, and from the subsidies (subsidies that include education, health, feeding programs, transportation, and housing).

Haitian bring diseases (tuberculosis, HIV, and Hepatitis), poverty, contraband (weapons, drugs, rice, coffee, garlic, etc.), violence (raids, crime, robberies, beheadings, etc.), and environmental destruction (tree fellings for charcoal, garbage generation, killing of “Bubis”, etc.).

The Haitian also bring prostitution, human trafficking, and child slavery to DR.

Haiti on purpose never raise their minimum salary to force the Haitian to migrate to DR. The Haitian in DR are getting more salary and send remittances to Haiti (~$300 million dollars a year). And yet the Haitian in DR used their tendencies of “living poor” to cry “slavery” and defame DR in front of the world.

DR is not going to legalize the illegals or their children since that violate the Constitution of both countries.

“…ever since its discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1492”

First of all when our histories are framed continuously in the context of European conquests and exploration, we perpetuate the idea that Indigenous, ancient communities weren’t there, that we were living in darkness in the Americas until our wonderful conquerors came to impose their religion, language, diseases, and ways upon us. I remember when I was in university taking a marketing class, and a sentence started in my textbook by saying something like, “since the beginning of time, the Greeks and the Romans have used marketing techniques….” or something along those lines. For a person of African descent, I know that my history reaches so much further back than the Greeks or the Romans. People of color are made to feel as if our histories don’t matter (granted we all come from Africa). I think it’s an issue around identity that needs to be respected.

“This colony was gradually populated by African slaves, and who eventually rebelled against their French colonizers.”

Additionally, we need to realize that the people who came over to the Americas by force were people. They were enslaved people, not slaves. This framework is important to understand.

“…two independent nations, with a different culture, beliefs, and system.. Despite these stark contrasts,”

I oppose overly dwelling on the differences of the two sides of this one island. Honestly, there are more things in common than not. There are so many opportunities to build on common ground and recognize and honor the similarities. We lose ground exacerbating and overstating the differences.

“Dominican Republic enjoys one of the largest economies in the Caribbean and Central America.”

Perhaps this statement is true. But let’s not forget that there are still millions of Dominicans living on less than $2US a day. This type of differentiating distracts the focus from the real goal, which is not proving that the DR is so much better off than Haiti, the goal is to lift the Island of Hispaniola out of poverty. Dominican Republic will not progress to its fullest potential without the progress of Haiti and vice versa Getting over the drama of years of lies and misinformation is key to working together to get things done.

“A large number of Haitians cross the border on a daily basis, usually illegally, to look for work as construction workers or to work as street vendors selling fruit, candy or other small, inexpensive items. Others may be specially contracted to work on sugarcane plantations.”

The immigration system is broken. Haitians are singled out from other foreign nations by the Dominican government and systematically treated unfairly. Like most border countries, movement of people constantly happens. Most communities on border towns have ties on both arbitrary lines “separating” nations. This continuous movement of people as with goods does occur. Is it illegal or natural?

This would lead one who has never been to the Dominican Republic or know the current situation to believe that all Haitian immigrants are “street vendors or sugarcane laborers”. However an important fact to note is that Haitians occupy a vast array of professional positions in the Dominican Republic including medicine, law, real estate, academia just to name a few.

Many Haitians are multilingual and have university education. My point is that the Haitian immigrant community is diverse.

“A large percentage [of undocumented Haitians] can be seen in the streets as beggars [which] leaves Dominicans with a negative stereotyped view of all Haitians. However, there is still a smaller percentage that arrive legally with intentions to study, often with scholarships, but may not be the typical profile of Haitans in the country.

This makes it clear that this article exacerbates the differences and dwells on the negative and downplays the positive. Many Haitians obtain or attempt to attain travel and immigration documentation to live, work and study in the Dominican Republic (DR). It’s safe to say that no Haitian goes to the DR to beg or receive social welfare. They intend to work. Most all do and contribute culturally, economically and otherwise to the Dominican society. The migrant Haitian workforce is so intertwined and fundamental to the DR that it’s also safe to say that it would be devastating to the DR’s growth if these workers were mass deported from the country as this article is alluding to.

Negative stereotypical views of entire groups and communities is dangerous territory. It sows seeds for violence and even genocide. I won’t get into the history of massacres that have taken place in the DR, based on hateful stereotypes.

What’s the typical profile of a Haitian? This to me says that there are good Haitians and bad ones. This statement carries racist tones. For eons people in power, often of European descent have picked us out and separated who’s a good black (i.e. those who follow their rules, stay in place, and emulate them) and who’s a bad black. Segmenting the “good” from the “bad” perpetuates strife in our community meanwhile their power goes unchallenged.

“Even though most arrive out of their free will, there are others that are brought to the Dominican Republic due to human trafficking and are taken advantage of in a network of beggars….There are estimates that there are approximately 1 million undocumented Haitians in the D.R., many of which are children who are working on the streets as window washers or shoe shiners.”

It’s absurd to insinuate that most of the undocumented Haitians are beggars. That’s just simply is not true. Often people born in the Dominican Republic of Haitian parents or of Haitian ancestry are considered immigrants. They are systematically denied documentation and access to schools, hospitals and social institutions. Basically, dark, “Haitian-looking” individuals are lumped into a category of foreigner, “dirty Haitian”, ugly black person and the list goes on. Dominicans should feel a little a shamed because often they’re turning their backs on fellow Dominicans begging in the streets. However, the humanity living in us all should feel a need to right the wrongs that have created situations of poverty regardless of a person’s race or nationality.

I would say that many who go to the DR are not going on their own free will. They are being forced, economically and otherwise, to leave their homes. Decisions at the highest levels are made between the Dominican and Haitian governments to fulfill the labor needs of the bateyes (sugar plantations) in the DR. Don’t blame the people. Fault the system. Then, work to change the system.

“It is the economic impact on the Dominican State that worries many people, because of the funds destined to provide free medical care to the undocumented immigrants”

I think it’s a gross exaggeration to imply that undocumented Haitians (many lumped in this group are Dominican) are bringing the DR down economically. The DR can make its life easier if they just focus on universal health care for all people and not on exclusion. I’m sure that a comparison of what these workers are contributing to the economy far outweighs what services they are occasionally accessing.

“These topics are often at the center of the discussion about Haitians in the Dominican Republic. As a result, Dominicans are often accused internationally of racism, abuse and mistreatment against the Haitian people, especially in the sugar industry.”

Dominicans aren’t accused of being racist and abusing Haitians because of heated debates. While the topic incites passionate debate, UN bodies, well respected international NGOs and religious organizations have documented over the years the violations of the human rights by the Dominican government of Haitian immigrants, Dominicans of Haitian descent and darker skinned Dominicans. That fact is not to be denied. It’s more progressive to accept what is and has happened and move on from there.

“There are also outcries about the rights of Haitians when the Dominican Republic takes sovereign actions including deportation.”

Mass deportations are often illegal, inhumane, and are ineffective in controlling the flow of people to the DR. Deportations break up families and devastate and terrorize communities and are usually unwarranted.

I work at the Universidad APEC. There, Haitian students pay the same as Dominican nationals. If anyone would like to confirm this information, please call 809-686-0021. You can call Mr. Julio Constantino, account receivables officer. The same can be said of the State University (the UASD). The catholic university PUCMM also does the same. Its Rector, Agripino Collado, told us that he himself has held talks with Haitian students groups to see how best to serve their interests. He, as most of us, have a high opinion of Haitian students. As a professor, I have taught some of them, and can attest to this fact.

As for medical programs, if they are taught in the English language tuition payments are US. dollars regardless of nationality.